Using Color as Identification

We weren't called black, white, red, yellow, etc... until the 15 to 16 hundreds.  Where have we gotten the idea that we are the color that has been given us.  Black, white, red, yellow, brown, do not define us or say anything about our culture or how valuable we are all as human beings.  I ran across this little piece and whether it's right, wrong, or indifferent, I identify with it. 
http://www.youngzine.com/blog/should-we-let-colors-define-us